Round 3, World Junior : G.Jaswant - Lim Zhuo Ren : 0-1

 Below is Lim Zhuo Ren first win in the 2011 World Junior Chess Championship.

G. Jaswant (2036) - Lim Zhuo Ren (2155)
World Junior, Round 3, 4.8.2011

Analyzed by Centaur (Hairulov+Houdini)

1.d4 d6 2. c4 e5 In my opinion, this move give white a chance to transpose the game into the most boring variation in the world...  

3. dxe5 White can choose to 'play with the  queen variation' with 3. Nf3 e4 4. Ng5 f5 White's knight look rather silly on g5 but it have a strong 'reverse gear' maneuver if black choose to harass it immediately for e.g 5. Nc3 h6 6. Nh3 g5 7. Ng1 The knight move 4 times to return to it initial square but on the other hand black has commit  a serious weakness on his kingside! 3... dxe5 4. Qxd8+ Kxd8

Both queens are off the board already after move 4? Some may said there are no beauty left in this position but who  cares? Objectively speaking there is nothing wrong to play a queen less game because the objective of the game is to checkmate your opponent and of course you can always do it without the queen.  

5. Nf3 f6 6. Nc3 c6 7. e3 Theory gave 7. e4.  The drawback of both moves ( e3 or e4) in this variation  is it give Black potential invasion squares for a knight ( or other piece)  on either d3 or d4.  

7... Kc7 The c7 square is a  typical 'heaven' for black's king in this variation.  

8. Be2 Be6 9. O-O Nd7 10. b3 Nh6 11. Bb2 Nf7 12. Rac1 Bc5 13. Rfd1 Rhd8  Till now both players seems like pushing woods but now come the thunder...  

14. Nd5+!?

Suddenly the game became complicated and as one of  Malay famous proverb said - air yang tenang jangan disangka tiada buaya - ...calm river doesn't mean there is no crocodile in it!

14...Kb8 Thanks God black is not force to take the bait. If not, black has to defend a difficult game after for e.g.14... cxd5?! 15. cxd5 Bg4 16. b4

15. Nc3 b6 16. Ne4 Bf8 17. c5 Kc7 Actually black can just take the pawn with poker face. For e.g 17... Nxc5! 18. Rxd8+ Nxd8 19. Nxc5 Bxc5 And it looks like white has no clear compensation for the pawn. 


18. Ba3 h6 19. h3 f5 20. Nd6 bxc5 21. Bc4 Bxc4 22. Nxc4 g5 23. Nb2 White desperately try to gain the pawn  by attacking the c5 pawn but black's manage to consolidate.

23...e4 24. Nd2 Nfe5 25. Ndc4 Nxc4 26. Nxc4 Nb6 27. Na5 Rd3 See my note on move 7th


28. Ra1 Re8 29. Rac1 Re5 30. Kf1 Red5  According to Lim Zhou Ren the actual move is 27...Rxd1 (not 27...Rd3)


28. Rxd1 Re8 29. Rc1 Re5 30. Kf1 Rd5 31. Ke2 Nd7 32. f4?

 
Black voluntarily create weakness on his king side's pawns formation.  32... gxf4 33. exf4 Black even got a passed e-pawn now. 33...Bd6 34. Rf1 Nf6 35. g3 Rd3 36. Rg1 Nh5 37. Nc4 Rxg3 38. Rd1 Nxf4+ 39. Kf2 Nxh3+ 40. Ke2 Rg2+ 41. Kf1 Rg1+ 42. Ke2 Nf4+ 43. Kd2 Rxd1+ 44. Kxd1 Nd5 and Lim Zhou Ren mentioned that he slowly Queen the pawn. His opponent  didn't resign. He wait till checkmate!  0-1